This invention relates to a motor vehicle having equipment parts in the front occupant area which can be adjusted on separate sides of the vehicle.
Such equipment parts as described above mainly are control elements for a heating and/or air-conditioning system. It is used, for example, to adjust the temperature and the air distribution on the front passenger's side independently of the adjustment on the driver's side. In addition, these equipment parts may also be control elements for a communication system, such as a radio, by means of which the loudness can be adjusted on the front passenger's side independently of that on the driver's side. Although, these equipment parts clearly increase the comfort in comparison to conventional equipment parts which cannot be adjusted on separate sides, there is the disadvantage that, when the front passenger's seat is not occupied, the equipment parts cannot be reached or can only be reached with difficulty by the driver. It will then be required to repeat any change of the adjustment on the front passenger's side, which presents a considerable distraction and difficulty. The gain in comfort when the front passenger's seat is occupied is virtually cancelled by the loss in comfort when the front passenger's seat is unoccupied.
An object of the present invention is to provide a motor vehicle of the initially mentioned type, in which, while the possibility of an adjustment of the equipment parts on separate sides is maintained, a comfortable adjusting possibility is also provided when the front passenger's seat is unoccupied.
This and other objects are achieved by the present invention which provides a method of operating a motor vehicle having equipment parts in the front area which are separately adjustable on a driver side and a front passenger side of the motor vehicle, and comprises entering an operating mode in which the equipment parts on the front passenger side are adjustable synchronously with a corresponding adjustment on the driver side.
The objects are also achieved by the present invention which provides a motor vehicle having equipment parts in the front area which are separately adjustable on a driver side and on a front passenger side of the motor vehicle in a first operating mode, and comprises a device, coupled to the equipment parts, which is operable in a second operating mode in which adjustment of the equipment parts on the front passenger side is synchronous with a corresponding adjustment on the driver side.
The present invention allows for an adjustment of the equipment parts on the driver's side and on the front passenger's side that is separate on each side and is also synchronous. The first possibility (separate on each side) will exist when the front passenger's seat is occupied. The front passenger can then adjust the passenger's equipment parts individually. If, in contrast, the front passenger's seat is not occupied, the operating mode according to the invention may be selected by which it is possible for the driver to adjust the equipment parts on the front passenger's side corresponding to the adjustment of the driver's equipment parts. The change-over between the operating mode that is separate on each side and that is synchronous may take place arbitrarily. Switches or other controls are used for this purpose which are to be operated arbitrarily by the front passenger or the driver.
However, in addition and irrespective of the above, it is also possible to carry out the selection of the operating mode automatically. Thus, it is possible, for example, to provide a synchronizing operation between the driver's and the front passenger's side when the operation of the motor vehicle is started. When one of the equipment parts on the front passenger's side is adjusted arbitrarily and independently of the corresponding equipment part on the driver's side, this can automatically cancel the synchronization and a change-over can take place to the operating mode of the individual adjustment of the equipment parts on the front passenger's side. Because of the individual adjustment of the equipment parts on the front passenger's side, it can therefore be recognized that the front passenger's seat is occupied.
However, the fact that the front passenger's seat is occupied may also be recognized directly by means of a suitable sensing mechanism, such as a pressure switch in the front passenger's seat or a proximity sensor directed at the front passenger's seat. In this case, when the front passenger's seat is occupied, it is possible to always preset the operating mode of the adjustment that is separate on each side.
Finally, the operating mode can also be triggered by means of a control unit by which a front passenger's air bag can be activated. Such a control unit determines whether the front passenger's seat is occupied and will activate the air bag only when this is necessary because the front passenger's seat is occupied. Within the scope of this invention, the output signal of this control unit may be used for the automatic selection of the operating mode.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.